Unexpected
by Permanent Rose
Summary: Jane never meant to be the one carrying their child, but it turns out you'll do crazy things for the person you love.
1. Chapter I

_A/N: Yes, I am going to finish **If You're My Girl, **but I took a little detour along the way because this refused to leave me alone. This was inspired by a question **JoBethMegAmy. my homegirls** answered on tumblr, regarding fics that have Jane be the pregnant one. I decided I was up for the challenge of trying to create a believable scenario. I hope you enjoy :)_

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"Come on ya bastard…I know you can move faster than that!" Jane whined, squinting out the rain streaked windshield as the tow truck in front of her inched at an unbearably slow pace. If there was one benefit to leaving the station late, it was the avoidance of rush hour. It was a small perk that made the drive home feel tolerable after a grueling day, so Jane found herself particularly bitter as she continued to tail the truck.

Jane had been up to her ears in cases recently, and while three years ago she would have thrived on a grueling work day, often feeling antsy with almost _any_ amount of down time, she now wished that her choice of career could be a bit less demanding. She used to roll her eyes when her mother would babble about her settling down, finally finding a man whom she loved more than her job. While Jane had not married the man her mother had always speculated she'd end up with, marrying Maura had provided Jane with every cliché hope and dream that Angela had always wished upon her daughter.

_Married. _She still liked to repeat the word to herself, a strangle smile always dancing on her lips. She was still growing accustomed to the title, though they had been legally wed for nearly two years now. Perhaps it was because it often felt so surreal, having found the love of her life in her best friend.

She let out a sigh of relief as the truck made a left turn, leaving Jane to accelerate much too quickly as she swerved to the right, nearly doubling her speed as she neared Beacon Hill. It hadn't been a conscious decision for the couple to adopt Maura's home as their own – Jane had moved in quite subtly and accidentally, before it had eventually dawned on her that Maura's large estate had effectively become her home.

The rain still continued to pour down in sheets as Jane pulled into the driveway, becoming drenched in the short distance as she sprinted to the front door. Jo, of course, was waiting to greet her enthusiastically, her little tail wagging with fervor.

"Yes, yes, Mommy's home," Jane laughed, scooping the small dog off the floor. Jo's tongue immediately attacked Jane's face, and Jane scrunched her nose, letting Jo have her fill. "Always nice to know someone missed me," she laughed, finally placing the dog on the floor.

The large house was silent, an indication that Angela had already retreated to the guesthouse for the night. She glanced at the microwave clock – nearly ten. It seemed as though Maura had retired as well.

Jo trailed her heels as Jane walked down the hall to her and Maura's room, kicking her shoes off before she reached the door. Slowly, she creaked the door open, expecting to find her wife slumbering peacefully, but their bed was quite empty. Jane frowned, wondering what Maura could possibly be up to this late on a Thursday night, when the faint hush of the running shower gave away her location.

Jane let out the breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding, at once striding toward the master bathroom. A heavy cloud of steam assaulted her, making it difficult for her to breathe for a moment. She was about to crack a joke, but the muffled sound of sobbing cut her short.

"Maur?" she spoke softly, worrying knitting her brow.

There was a slight clattering in the shower and a tiny gasp of surprise, following by a blubbery utterance of Jane's name. "I-I…I didn't realize you'd be home yet. I must have lost track of time," she further sniffed.

"Hey, hey, what wrong?" Jane spoke, balancing herself up against the vanity top as she reached for her socks, quickly shedding them, soon followed by the rest of her damp clothes. She pried back the shower curtain, joining Maura beneath the scalding stream of water. She winced as she noticed Maura's raw skin, turning the water dial down a few notches before fitting her arms snugly around Maura's waist. "Talk to me," she murmured against Maura's wet neck.

"I'm sorry," Maura spoke in return, her voice slightly congested. "I didn't want you to have to see me like this."

"Stop that." Jane brought her hand to Maura's tangled hair. "I don't want you to feel like you have to put on a strong face for me."

Maura nodded against her neck. "I know I said I was going to wait another day, but I caved tonight and took the test," Maura finally let the words tumble from her lips. Jane held her breath, though she already knew the answer. "It was negative, Jane." She choked out another sob.

"Shhh, shhh," Jane soothed. "It might not be definite…even though we waited longer this time, you could always wait a few days, take another test…"

"I'm not pregnant, Jane," Maura countered, Jane's optimism proving futile. "This is already the third time we've tried...there's no use building up hope only to be disappointed once again." Her body trembled against Jane's, and Jane automatically held her tighter.

"Maur, it's going to be okay." Jane swallowed the heaviness that had settled in her own throat.

"I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong," Maura spoke quietly. "My diet and exercise habits are precisely on track – I've tried three different fertility drugs now, but the only effect they seem to be having is making me an emotional mess."

"Babe, no, don't you start blaming yourself – you know that's not true. Like you said, you're doing everything you can, and I know its frustrating, but its not your fault. I know you know that," she assured her fiercely.

Maura was silent for a moment, before she spoke in a small voice. "I just feel like a failure, and I'm not used to failing."

"You stop that, okay?" Jane pulled away so she could find Maura's eyes.

She nodded, sniffing again. Jane reached to turn off the water, guiding them both from the shower. She gave Maura's hand a gentle squeeze.

"We'll keep trying, okay?" Jane promised as she tugged a pair of boy shorts over her thighs.

Maura let out a heavy sigh. "This is the third time, Jane…I don't want to give up hope, but I'm just so tired," her throat swelled up again. "I'm so, so tired, and I don't know if I can keep doing this." She tugged one of Jane's oversized t-shirts over her head before crawling under the comforter.

Jane joined her, taking her position as the 'big spoon.' She rested her chin against Maura's shoulder, kissing the edge of her jaw lightly. She sighed heavily. "I love you. So, so much."

"I love you, too, Jane," Maura spoke, managing a small smile. She glided her hand into Jane's, leaving it there as she let her eyes flutter shut.

Even after Maura's breathing had become steady, Jane continued lay awake, her mind beginning to reel.

XXX

_ Running a little late. You want me to pick something up for dinner? _Jane texted Maura as she left the station, running a hand through her hair as she let out a world-weary sigh. She turned the key in the ignition, driving further into the city rather than her typical route home. Her phone dinged, and she glanced over to the passenger seat, Maura's message flashing across the screen.

_I've actually made dinner for us, so hurry home before it gets cold :)_

Jane smiled, the domestic patterns they'd fallen into pleasing her more than she would have anticipated. She let out a tiny sigh, however, wondering how Maura was faring behind her seemingly content words. It'd taken her weeks to recover from her last failed pregnancy, and she knew the disappointment from this one was already worse.

She pulled up to the parking lot behind Frankie's apartment, taking the stairs up to the second floor. She rapped her fist lightly against the door, greeted a moment later by Frankie, who was wearing a Transformers t-shirt, his thick-rimmed glasses, and had his thumb marking his page in _Atlas Shrugged._

"What's up, sis?" he greeted, stepping aside as she stepped over the threshold.

"I apologize for interrupting your _thrilling _Friday evening." She noticed a couple of empty Chinese takeout boxes littering the countertop. The one bedroom apartment was modestly adorned and pleasantly cluttered, reminding Jane of prior lifestyle.

"Shut up, Jane," Frankie shoved her arm playfully, tugging his glasses away from his face and placing them, along with his book, on the coffee table next to his collector's edition Star Wars DVD set.

"Damn, kid, you need a girlfriend," she shot him her infamous judgmental face, before moving a pile of bills from the armchair and plopping herself down comfortably there. "Or, you know, a boyfriend," Jane added, raising an eyebrow as Frankie took his place on the couch, a smile curving at her lips.

"Oh, no, I can assure I like girls as much as you do," Frankie retorted with a laugh, resting his feet up against the coffee table. "So what can I do you for? Not that I mind the unexpected visit, but I can tell when Jane Rizzoli is digging for something."

Jane sighed, wishing their light-hearted banter could continue, but she knew she needed to address the matter that had been eating away at her all day. "Well, um, you know how Maura's been trying to get pregnant, right?" With Angela always hovering, it was hard to keep much of anything a secret from Jane's family.

"You got good news for me then?" Frankie took the optimistic reply, though his eyes told Jane that he knew it was anything but.

"You really think I paid you a special visit just to tell you that?" Her sarcasm was heavy though, and neither of them could manage to laugh.

"I'm sorry, Jane," Frankie muttered, sitting up as he reached to touch her knee lightly, offering what sympathy he could. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Well…I did come here to talk to you about something. It might be crazy, but I've been thinking…what if I was the one to have the baby?"

Frankie raised and eyebrow. "Have you run this by Maura yet?"

"No…not exactly. I mean, we did kind of have to discuss that back when we first talked about having a baby, but I was quick to reject the idea of being the pregnant one. She just seemed so much better suited for it – and her lifestyle habits have always been healthier than mine. I dunno...I don't wanna say we do that whole 'man' and 'woman' in the relationship thing, but you know, sometimes I guess it just kind of happens. I mean really, as much as I've always wanted kids, I think I'd just be the most awkward pregnant lady ever," she finished with a laugh.

"But, with the current circumstances, you'd be willing to consider it?" Frankie clarified.

"Well, yeah…" Jane responded. "I mean, it's kind of the logical next step, right?"

"I would say so," Frankie nodded in agreement. "I mean, if you're willing to do it, then I think it would be a really great thing for you to offer – I'd say you're good to run it by Maura."

"Actually, that's the real reason I'm here," Jane fidgeted slightly as she spoke the words. Frankie looked at her curiously. "I, uh, well…I wasn't so sure I should actually tell Maura…"

"What do you mean, 'not tell Maura?'" Frankie narrowed his gaze, his approval slowly fading.

"It's just….she took the test last night, Frankie, and when I got home, she was a mess. This whole process…it's killing her – the waiting, the uncertainty, the stress of the whole thing. It's just…what if could give her what she wants, but take away all anxiety?"

Frankie was silent for a minute. He licked his lips, letting out a breath. "So what you're saying is that you'd pick a donor and go through the artificial insemination process without saying anything to Maura?"

"Basically," Jane bit her lip, trying to rationalize her plan. "Look, I know it sounds kind of crazy, and I know going behind my wife's back is risky, but I can't take the chance of getting her hopes up just to have them crushed again. I mean, who knows if I'll even get pregnant? If Maura's having this much trouble, then I'm definitely no guarantee. If I'm gonna do this, it might just be better if Maura doesn't know until things are a little more definite."

"It's a big commitment, Jane. And you've got a lot to consider, especially if you're gonna go about it this way," Frankie warned.

"I know," Jane affirmed. "But it's gotta be worth trying – its not worth it to give up without considering all of our options, right?"

"Jane, this is completely up to you…but you've got my support," Frankie answered with a small smile. "But just so you know, if she flips her lid, I know _nothing _about this."

XXX

"Okay, I can't do this." Jane closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to calm her breathing. "This was a terrible idea. If Maura can't get pregnant, then why in the hell do I think I can?"

"Jane, breathe," Frankie reminded her, scooting his chair closer to Jane. "For one, you know that's a terrible argument. Your chances of conceiving are not related to Maura's. You know this is just the nerves talking." He patted her arm gently.

"Well, yeah, of course I'm nervous. I'm about to start growing a human inside of me. Remind me again why I thought this was a good idea?" Her breathing had grown shallow once again. Her head fell back against the examination chair, and she began to pick nervously at her medical bracelet.

"Okay, okay, picture this…a few weeks from now, you take your test, and it comes back positive. Now imagine telling Maura. I know you can picture that face, that big, teary smile she'll have...you've been waiting _months _for that moment," Frankie continued to rub circles on Jane's arm.

Jane noticeably relaxed, a smile dancing on her own lips. However, it was quickly replaced by a grimace. "Yeah, well, that's only if she decides she doesn't want to murder me for going through with all this."

"Remember, we decided that Maura's happiness outweighed her potential anger," Frankie continued to speak as the voice of reason.

"Right," Jane sighed. "Hopefully that wasn't severe misjudgment on my part."

"You need to relax," Frankie encouraged her.

"I'm sure as hell trying." She closed her eyes again. "I just can't believe this is actually happening…I think a part of me expected them to tell me I had a hostile uterus at my examination. And the donor…Frankie, what if I picked a bad donor?"

After much discussion, Maura and Jane had decided an anonymous donor would be the route to go. Having someone in their lives father the baby somehow made the baby feel like it would less theirs – if they wanted to have a baby, it only seemed reasonable that they would be the sole parents present in their child's life.

"I think we went over Maura's checklist about three billion times," Frankie assuaged her, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "You did what you could, Jane. The rest isn't up to you."

Jane sighed heavily. "You don't think I'm making a mistake here, do you?"

"Do you think I'd be here, continually talking you into this - despite all your excuses - if I did? Look at me, Jane," he paused, waiting for her eye contact. "Sure, I can't promise you any of this is going to go flawlessly, but you're doing this for the right reasons."

Jane sighed again, just as the doctor knocked gently on the door before entering.

"Are you ready?" she asked, smiling pleasantly at the pair.

Jane put on a brave face. "Let's make a baby."

XXX

"That's the third time you've thrown up this week," Frankie assaulted Jane as she stepped out of the bathroom. "Have something you want to tell me?"

"Jesus, Frankie," Jane gathered her bearings, before eyeing Frankie suspiciously. "You are an even bigger snoop than Ma is."

Frankie raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I can't help it you're a loud puker."

Jane rolled her eyes, shoving past Frankie as she headed for her desk. Of course, Frankie continued to follow her like an overly enthusiastic puppy. "Come on, Janie. You can tell me. I practically conceived this baby with you, so I deserve to know."

Jane quickly shushed him, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. "That sounded wrong on so many levels. And would you cut me a break? I don't know anything yet, so I don't have anything to hide from you."

"You mean to tell me you haven't taken a test yet?" He widened his eyes. "It's been almost three weeks! The doctor said you'd be good to try at two."

"Yeah, well…the longer you wait, the most accurate the results." Jane pulled out her case file, hoping Frankie would take a hint and leave.

"Yeah, but you've got to be dying to know by now. And with the way you've been upchucking, that's gotta be a good sign, right?" He continued with relentless persistence.

"I don't know, it could just be my nerves – god knows I've been a mess of them lately. I just don't wanna do this too prematurely, okay?" Jane attempted to defend herself.

"So Jane Rizzoli is scared to take a test, is that what I'm hearing?" Frankie used his old teasing tactic to get what he wanted out of her.

She shot him a look, ready to retaliate, but she let out a defeated sigh instead. "Yeah, I'm scared. Happy?"

Frankie's face softened. "Aw, Janie…"

"Oh, you stop. I've got a perfectly good reason to be scared – so much depends on what that little fucking test tells me, and I'm not so sure I'm ready to handle what it means if it comes back negative…" she trailed off, glancing around once again to make sure their conversation remained unnoticed.

"Frankie, we need you down in narcotics!" A voice called from across the room.

Frankie reluctantly dragged himself away from Jane's desk. "This isn't over yet."

XXX

"Hey, Jane, look what I picked up for you on my lunch break," Frankie whispered, pulling a plastic baggy out from behind his back. He pried the top open, revealing a home pregnancy test.

"Fuck, Frankie, what are you doing with that?" Jane quickly covered the test, shoving it back in Frankie's direction.

"Come on, Jane. It's time to face your fears."

"Not here. Not now. And what if Maura sees that? She's right downstairs, for crying out loud!" Jane hissed in protest.

"Which is why you're going to take it now, before she even comes up here," Frankie pushed it back toward. "And if you don't, I'm gonna go leave it on her desk."

"Fine, you win," Jane huffed, jerking the bag away from Frankie grasp as she stomped toward the bathroom, choosing to ignore his victorious fist pump.

XXX

"So?" Frankie assaulted her once again as she emerged from the bathroom.

"So, _what_?" Jane stood opposite of him, crossing her arms stubbornly across her chest. She raised an eyebrow. "I don't have to tell you anything." But even as she spoke the words, an undeniable smile crossed her face.

"Ah, see, you can't hide anything from me. I told you not to be scared. Congratulations, sis," he grinned at her.

Jane looked down at her feet, unable to wash the smile off her face. "Don't say that too soon. You never know, could be a false reading…"

Frankie waved her off, looking down at the stomach. "Hey little guy," he spoke, earning a massive eye roll from his sister. "It's your godfather." He grinned wryly.

"Oh, you're so full of yourself!" Jane shoved him away, retreating back to her desk.

"Well, who you gonna pick then? Tommy?" He barked out a laugh, following Jane once again. He sat on the edge of her desk, despite her annoyed glare.

"Oh, hell no. But you might have some competition with Frost," she addressed him with a smug grin.

XXX

"So, Maura, how have you been feeling?" Angela spoke in a not-so-offhand manner. She raised an eyebrow knowingly, stepping closer to her daughter-in-law as she continued to unpack the groceries.

Maura looked up in genuine confusion. "I've been feeling fine, thank you. Is there a reason I should not be?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Angela drew out the words. She reached for one of the large paper bags, taking out a bottle of vitamins, examining the labels carefully.

"Ma, what are you doing?" Jane asked in a panic, suddenly quite certain she knew what her mother was looking for. She abandoned her own bag, quickly crossing the kitchen as her mother continued to search for confirmation in the form of prenatal vitamins. Jane wracked her mind, attempting to think of when she had slipped up, revealing what she had been fighting so hard to keep a secret. Perhaps Frankie had said something. "Ma, really, Maura and I got this." Jane persisted, eyeing her mother significantly.

"Oh, you hush, and let an old mother lend a helping hand, or should I say gran—"

"Ma!" Jane interrupted so suddenly that Maura nearly dropped the spice bottles she held in her grasp. "I…uh…I just realized we left a few bags in the car. Would you mind coming out and helping me get them?" She nodded viciously toward the door.

Angela rolled her eyes, but she complied, letting the door click shut behind her as Jane cornered her on the porch. "Ma, what do you think you're doing?"

"Jane, we both know very well what I'm getting at, and I very wounded that I had to find out from…"

"Yeah, how did you find out?" Jane crossed her arms impatiently, raising an eyebrow. "You don't think you already do enough snooping in our lives?"

"For heavens sake, Jane, I hardly _snoop _– believe it or not, I do respect that you do need privacy. I gathered the trash around the house last night because you got home so late, and when I emptied that one in the far corner of your bedroom – you know, the one by your dresser, I happened to notice five positive pregnancy tests as I dumped out the trash."

Jane groaned loudly, knowing at once she should have been more careful about where she had disposed of them. Though she knew it was ridiculous (and becoming an unreasonable expense), she had bought enough pregnancy tests to get her through the week, worried that as soon as she self-confirmed her conception, it would merely turn out to be a false reading. The little pink plus sign she'd been seeking every morning merely gave her the reassurance she needed.

"I can hardly imagine why Maura would need to take so many tests, but if it's the confirmation she needs, then who I am to judge?" Angela continued, ignoring Jane's aggravated reaction. "I just want to congratulate her – well, the both of you – so I would appreciate your blessing because there's no use in trying to skirt around this now…"

"Ma…" Jane squeezed her eyes shut. These were certainly not the circumstances she had envisioned telling her mother she was carrying her future grandchild – and much less before Maura was even aware of the fact. "Maura's not pregnant."

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli, I already said there's no use trying to lie t—" Angela interrupted.

"Ma, would you let me finish?" Jane cut her off in return. "Maura's not pregnant…I am."

_Silence_.

Jane ran a hand through her hair, her breath suddenly shallow as she waited.

"But I thought….when did you decide this?" Angela cocked her head, as if trying to imagine how this had managed to slide under her radar.

"Well, Maura was having so much trouble conceiving...I just…I figured trying was the least I could do. But, Ma, the reason I haven't told you…Maura doesn't even know yet, and –"

"Wait, _Maura_ doesn't know yet?" Angela was incredulous. "Five tests later and you still don't feel confident enough to tell her?"

"Well…" Jane began. "It's actually a little more complicated than that. Maura might not even know that I, um…that I went through the artificial insemination process." She turned her gaze away from her mother, cursing herself for letting this conversation become so messy.

"You mean to tell me you've gone through all this without even confiding in your wife?" Angela's tone was dripping in disapproval.

"It's not like I just decided to go out and get pregnant without talking to her about it first!" Jane defended automatically. "Maura's been trying for _months _now – we made the decision a while ago that we wanted to be parents. If you just knew how much it was tearing her apart, to hear her crying because she couldn't carry our baby. Ma, this is all for her, but I want it to be perfect, because she needs that right now. There can't be any more _what-ifs, _because I think the disappointment just might kill her." Her bottom lip trembled as the words spilled out.

She should have expected it, but she still tensed up in surprise as Angela engulfed her in an embrace. "Ma?" her voice was muffled against Angela's neck.

"Yes, Janie?" Angela tugged her a little closer.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" she gulped, letting herself relax against her mother's touch.

Angela sighed, and Jane knew she still had an earful for her, but she continued to hold Jane, her voice coming out softly. "I think you did a wonderful thing."

XXX

"You know, Maura really should be here with you right now," Angela spoke, looking down at a parenting pamphlet as Jane once again sat in the examination chair. "You're almost six weeks now, and you've taken more pregnancy tests than any one person should take in their lifetime. If that's not enough confirmation, then I don't even know if a doctor can convince you."

"Ma, damn it, don't make me regret bringing you," Jane groaned, rubbing her temples in frustration. "I just want to make sure everything's okay, alright? When I tell Maura, I want to tell her it's a doctor confirmed pregnancy and that the baby is healthy. Those two things are very important right now."

"Whatever you say…just you wait til you see that little baby up there on the screen, though. You're gonna regret not having Maura here with you." Angela flipped the page, not bothering to look up.

Jane fought the urge to scream. Thankfully, the technician came in, engaging the two women in pleasant conversation as she prepped Jane.

"Alright, let's see if we can get a good look here," she spoke, inching the monitor over Jane's goopy stomach. Jane took in a halting breath, her heart pounding erratically as she glanced up at the fuzzy screen. "There we go," the technician smiled, pointing up to the screen, though Jane couldn't make anything out. "That's your baby."

Jane's throat swelled, and she could hardly protest as she felt Angela's hand slide into hers.

"And here, let me just turn this up a little," the technician reached for a dial, turning it slightly, and the room was filled with a very soft whooshing sound. "You hear that? That's the baby's heartbeat."

Jane felt a tear slide down her cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away, instead closing her eyes as she listened to the faint little heartbeat continuously repeat.

XXX

"So can I get another one of these ultrasounds next week?" Jane asked up at the desk as she scheduled her next appointment.

The secretary behind the desk bit back a laugh. "You hardly need another again that soon, unless you were to experience some sort of complication. And your insurance only covers one more – which we typically do around eighteen weeks."

"But if I want you to, could you do one for me next week?" Jane persisted, leaning up against the ledge.

"Well, I suppose we _could_, but I don't see a reason to…and as I said, it would not be covered by your insurance."

"I'm fine with that," Jane waved her off. "It's just that my wife couldn't be here with me today, and I really want her to see what I just saw in there." Jane's face melted into a smile once again.

"I'll see what I have available," the secretary smiled at her in return.

XXX

Jane let her mother drive home, mainly because she could not tear her eyes away from the fuzzy little black and white picture they had printed for her. Though there wasn't much to look at, Jane still found herself in awe.

"You've gone soft, Jane," her mother chuckled, smiling over at her daughter as they pulled up to a stoplight.

"Oh, you hush," Jane swatted her hand in her mother's direction, though she kept her attention on the photo.

"So how are you going to tell Maura?" Angela asked.

Jane smiled, touching the tiny blob. "I think I have an idea."

XXX

"Hey, Maur, don't you think its about time you fed Bass?" Jane prompted, attempting to appear subtle, though her insides were squirming with anticipation.

Maura looked up from her laptop. _Shoe shopping, _Jane guessed, and fought the urge to roll her eyes. An entire wall of their closet was already filled with her footwear collection. It had been months now since Maura's failed pregnancy, and weeks since the pair had even brought up the topic of a baby. Maura was looking healthier now, reminding Jane that the stress she had relieved her from had all been well worth it.

"In a bit," Maura spoke, her eyes darting back to the screen. "I gave him strawberries a couple of hours ago, so he shouldn't be too hungry yet."

Jane made a face, biting in an impatient grunt as she leaned up against the countertop, eyeing the tortoise, who bobbed his head contently from the interior of his shell. She sighed loudly, though her dramatic hiss of breath did nothing to catch her wife's attention.

"You sure?" she blurted before she could help herself. "Because you usually feed him right about now."

Maura glanced up once again, her brow knitted with a mixture of confusion and annoyance. "I'm sure he can wait a bit, Jane – and why are you suddenly so concerned with my tortoise? You can feed him yourself if you'd like."

Jane didn't even last a full minute before she spoke again. "I don't know, Maura, I think you should. He looks like he might be a little sick, or something…" she trailed off, and sure enough, Maura's laptop snapped shut and her head jerked up.

"Sick? How so?" Her brow furrowed as she rose from the couch, stepping over to examine her ailing tortoise. She bent down, frowning as she noticed a string attached around his neck. "Bass, whatever did you manage to get tangled around yourself?" She reached for the string, tugging it gently. Bass shifted, followed by a slight crinkling noise. She pried the object out from beneath his neck – a small, rectangular piece of photo paper with a fuzzy black and white image printed across it.

Maura touched the picture lightly. "Jane…what is this?" she spoke, her voice light and breathless. She slowly rose to her feet, her lips parted slightly in surprise. She looked back down to the ultrasound before lifting her eyes to meet Jane's. "I don't understand."

Jane stepped toward Maura, her heart pounding erratically. She fell into place beside her, giving Maura another second to gaze at the image – and herself a moment to remind herself to breathe.

"That's our baby," she finally spoke, her voice coming out in hushed squeak. Gently, she took one of Maura's hands and placed it against her belly.

"You mean…?" Maura couldn't finish her sentence as she tore her eyes away from the picture, fixing them on Jane's stomach instead. "When? How long…?"

Jane wasn't sure she'd ever seen Maura at such a loss for words. She gulped nervously, suddenly not quite sure where to begin. "I, well…I'm about six weeks along. And don't worry, I went though that long-ass checklist you made for choosing a donor – I just went for someone who looked, well, a little less Italian," she laughed nervously. "Please, don't be mad, Maur. Every step of the way, I kept wishing you could be there, too, but I couldn't stand the thought of seeing your face if something went wrong again…I couldn't stand the thought of disappointing you."

Maura lifted her hand to her face, flicking away her sudden influx of tears. "I'm not upset with you," she promised, her voice wavering slightly. "How could I be upset with you – this is the most selfless act anyone has ever done for me." She choked a bit as the tears began to fall harder. Jane pressed herself up against Maura's side, snaking an arm securely around her waist.

The two gazed at the photo for a moment before Maura spoke again. "I am curious to know how you managed to hide this from me for so long though…"

"Oh, trust me, it wasn't easy," Jane let out a laugh. "I can't tell you have relieved I am right now." She continued to hold Maura, feeling significantly lighter. "Also, I hate to ruin this moment, but I'm pretty this kid is gonna have me vomiting any second now."

Maura pulled away, laughing through her watery eyes. "Oh, the joys of pregnancy..."

"Yeah, nothing glamourous about it," Jane chuckled in reply, her nausea already increasing a little.

"Certainly not. Just wait until begin gaining weight, your feet become swollen, you develop hemorrhoids - and that's not to mention childbirth, where you'll experience vaginal tear-"

"Ugh, stop!" Jane pulled her hand up to her ears. "Don't make me regret doing this, okay?"

Maura only smiled coyly, tugging Jane's hand into hers. "Let's get you to the bathroom. I'll hold your hair for you."

And, despite her increasing nausea, Jane couldn't remember ever feeling better.


	2. Chapter II

_A/N: Yeah, I ended up getting consumed in Rizzles pregnancy land and decided to continue this. Thanks for all the positive feedback. Also, because of an anon review I got, I want to apologize for any inaccuracies I might have in this fic, regarding the artificial insemination process or just pregnancy in general. I google what I can, but I'm far from an expert, so I don't mean to offend anyone or misrepresent any information._

* * *

"Hey little man, you drive here all by yourself?" Jane scooped up her three-year-old nephew as he came barreling in through the doors of the station café.

TJ let out a peal of laughter as he tightly wrapped his arms around his aunt's neck. "No, I can't drive, Aunt Jane!"

"No?" Jane raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "You're so big that I thought for sure you'd be driving by now."

"Yeah, he's certainly shot up, hasn't he?" Tommy appeared a moment later, holding a sippy cup in one hand and TJ's favorite stuffed bunny in his other. The early days of TJ's arrival had left Jane skeptical of Tommy's competence, but fatherhood had come to suit him better than any of them had anticipated. Lydia had been a scattered presence in TJ's life, and Tommy had done an exceptional job of picking up her slack.

"Gonna have to start calling you 'Beanpole' pretty soon," Jane laughed, smacking a kiss on his cheek.

"No, no I'm not a bean!" TJ adamantly protested, giggling at the mere suggestion. "I'm just TJ."

"No, you're my silly nephew who is growing faster than I can keep up with." She gave him a final squeeze before placing him back on the ground, ruffling his dark hair as he ran up to the glass case that held the baked goods.

"Daddy said I could have a donut if I was good at the doctor's today," TJ spoke, his nose pressed up against the glass, his eyes honing in on one dripping in chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

"So was he good?" Jane raised an eyebrow, stepping up behind her nephew, grinning in Tommy's direction.

"I don't know, what do you think, T?" Tommy was already fishing for his wallet, nodding Stanley in the direction of TJ's coveted donut.

"I only cried a tiny bit from my shot," TJ announced proudly. "'Cause it hurted, but I wanted to be brave. And they gave me a band-aid with Cars on it, wanna see?"

He didn't wait for a response as he bunched up the sleeve of his t-shirt, proudly showcasing the band-aid on his shoulder.

"I'd get shots everyday if I got a cool band aid like that," Jane told the boy, taking the donut from Stanley's grasp as Tommy paid. "And barely even crying? I think you deserve more than one donut for display of bravery."

"Hey, don't give him any ideas!" Tommy spoke over his shoulder. "I'm already bracing myself for a pretty brutal sugar rush."

In just seconds the entire lower half of TJ's face was covered in chocolate, along with his hands and the collar of his t-shirt. Jane smirked, picking up a salad from the counter. "Hey, kiddo, I was just about to bring your Aunt Maura some lunch. Wanna come with me?"

He nodded eagerly, though his mouth was too stuffed with donut to verbally answer. She touched his back lightly, ushering him toward her office. Tommy followed behind the two as they stepped through the door, wincing as TJ shoved the rest of the donut into his mouth, immediately rushing up to his other aunt.

"Aunt Maura!" he shrieked, scrambling up into her lap.

"Oh! What a surprise," Maura smiled, slightly startled by her chocolate covered nephew, but she ignored the series of brown hand prints dotting her satin blouse more easily than one might have expected – after all, she did spend her days elbow deep in stomach contents.

"TJ outdid me in the surprise department," Jane smiled, nudging Maura's salad toward her on her desk. "I figured you hadn't eaten yet."

"Thank you, Jane," Maura flicked open the top of the Styrofoam box. "And you got me one with strawberries!" she exclaimed with sincerity. "I couldn't have asked for two better surprises." She caught Jane's gaze before turning to TJ, searching (with difficultly) for a clean portion of his face to kiss.

"Did you eat already, Jane?" Maura eyed her wife, realizing that perhaps her spontaneous lunch surprise might not have been as innocent as it seemed. Maura had devised a strict diet plan for Jane, with the best interests of Jane and the baby's health in mind, but Jane was not always eager to follow it. Jane had begun to avoid meals with Maura for that very reason, much to Maura's chagrin.

"Yeah, I had lunch," Jane spoke carefully, fiddling with her belt loop.

"And?" Maura prompted.

"And what?" Jane spoke, looking coy.

"Jane, please, don't play games with me," Maura spoke in an irritated manner, watching Tommy hover a bit uncomfortably in the doorway. TJ snuck a strawberry when he thought his aunt was not looking.

Jane let out an irritated sigh, "Eating a cheeseburger is not gonna kill our kid."

"Honestly, it's not that hard to follow the diet I have outlined for you –" Maura started.

"And we aren't about to start arguing over this _again _when we have company," Jane pursed her lips, ending their tiff, nodding Tommy into the office.

"How are you, Tommy?" Maura finally addressed her brother-in-law as he stepped toward Maura's desk, handing TJ his sippy cup. Maura fished out another strawberry for TJ before pouring the dressing over her salad.

"Pretty good. Busy chasing this monkey around," he laughed. "But things with Ellie are going good," he spoke fondly of his girlfriend, which earned an eye roll from Jane, who was still not amused that he was seeing one of TJ's daycare supervisors. "But what about you guys? How's the little peanut doing?"

"Healthy as a horse as far as we know," Jane replied, before turning to Maura. "And 'peanut' is kind of cute, don't you think?" Jane raised an eyebrow in Maura's direction, the tension from their argument dissipating.

"I told you, Jane – while it might be endearing – I'm not sure how I feel about calling our unborn child a food related nickname," Maura nixed the suggestion, daintily forking her salad into her mouth.

"We've been trying to come up with a cute nickname for the kiddo," Jane addressed Tommy's somewhat confused expression as the couple become lost in their own banter once again. "Maura calls it 'the fetus' so I've really been working to break her of that."

Tommy laughed. "Yeah, you're definitely in need of some other options. But if Maura's against using stuff like 'peanut' or 'bean' then that does kind of limit your choices…" he trailed off in a thoughtful manner.

"Aunt Maura, why do you got Pac-Man on your desk?" TJ's grubby hands had wandered toward the framed ultrasound picture near the back of her desk. It was the picture from the first ultrasound, and when Jane had noticed the blurry, somewhat crinkled photo displayed in an ornate frame on her wife's desk a couple weeks ago, she had wrinkled her nose and called it "grossly sentimental." But Maura didn't miss the tiny smile Jane always got when passing her desk now.

"Pac-Man?" Maura tilted her head in curiosity as TJ decorated the glass of the frame with his grubby fingerprints. "That's a picture of your baby cousin, sweetie," Maura explained.

"But the baby cousin in all up inside Aunt Jane now, so how did it get to be in a picture with Pac-Man?" He touched the frame, frowning in confusion.

Jane and Tommy had slid themselves behind the limited space behind the desk, scrutinizing the picture in curiosity, attempting to view it from TJ's perspective. Jane reached out, tracing the blob. "I can kind of see it – see how it dips in there a little, like his mouth? And that could easily be the eye."

"That's the yolk sac," Maura clarified.

"Yeah, but TJ doesn't know that," Jane continued to squint at the picture. "I don't what's funnier - that TJ thinks it looks like Pac-Man, or the fact that your three-year-old kid knows what Pac-Man is."

"Hey, it's better than letting him play Call of Duty with me," Tommy shrugged, reaching over to muss TJ's hair, addressing the couple. "Regardless, I think you've got yourselves a nickname."

XXX

"Rizzoli, you look positively miserable," Frost punched Jane's arm playfully as he sat up on the edge of her desk.

"Well, you'd be too if your brother got to go to the scene instead of you," she huffed irritably, kicking the base of her desk in frustration.

"It was a _sniper _shooting, Jane," Frost reminded her. "The Doc had every right to protest you going. You're not just looking out for yourself anymore," he reminded her, glancing down to her slightly swollen abdomen.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jane grumbled, leaning up against her desk as she doodled on the edge of her legal pad. "It just sucks, you know? How the hell am I supposed to survive behind the scenes for nine months? All this paperwork already is driving me crazy."

"Yeah, I can see you got real far on that," Frost glanced down at her pad of paper, scanning the list she had jotted down. "Isn't it a little early to be thinking about baby names?"

"Well it sure beats alphabetizing files from five years ago. If I had known getting pregnant would demote me to an intern's status, then maybe I would have reconsidered it," Jane muttered through gritted teeth.

"We both know you don't mean that. And Korsak promised you that he'd let you help out with any leads once he gets some – you should be grateful that you have something to keep yourself busy with in the meantime," Frost raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you, my mother? Spare me all this glass half full shit," Jane growled back at him.

"You are just rainbows and butterflies today, aren't you? This pregnancy has made even more charming than you used to be."

"You try growing a human inside of you," Jane let her fist fall against the desk. With her other hand, she pushed her unruly hair away from her face.

"Come on, Grump," Frost smacked her arm once again. "I'm treating you to lunch. We need to get something sweet in you ASAP."

XXX

When she returned from lunch, she resumed her position as her desk, noticing a curvy scrawl next the names she had jotted down. Maura's handwriting. Her mouth arched into a half smile read down the list.

**Riley**_ – I'm not sure this is meant for a boy or for a girl, which of course makes me shy away from it._

**Allie**_ – As a nickname for something longer, like Allison or Alicia?_

**Connor**_ - I'm not opposed to this one._

**Caden**_ – Not quite my cup of tea._

**Bailey**_ – You certainly do seem to have a preference for unisex names. I can't say I share your fondness…_

Beneath her list, she saw Maura had assembled her own, which Jane had (curtly) commented on herself.

_Camilla - _**no**

_Audrey – _**no**

_Katherine – _**maybe**

_Simon - _**absolutely not**

_Spencer -_** no**

Jane smiled, scribbling down another short list before heading downstairs to file her paperwork. She was already enjoying this little game.

XXX

"Jane, I can smell those Doritos from over here, so don't bother trying to hide the bag," Maura called across the kitchen.

Jane let out a muffled groan, letting the bag fall to the ground as it crinkled loudly. "Pac-Man was hungry though," Jane muttered in feeble protest.

"I _made _you a smoothie and left it in the fridge for you. Would it honestly be so hard for you at least make _some _effort? It's not as though I'm expecting you to do your own cooking or diet planning, so I would very much appreciate it if you'd at least attempt to comply." Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she entered into the living room.

"Maura, that 'smoothie' looked worse than my upchuck this morning. I'm pretty sure it's not safe to drink anything that green." Jane closed her eyes, rubbing her temples in irritation. This battle was proving to be a wearing one.

"Did you even bother to try it? Eating healthy doesn't have to be as revolting as you're making it out to be - and I'm sure you'd feel remarkably better and more energized if you'd take the time to improve your eating habits," Maura countered, pursing her lips firmly.

"Look, Maura, I know you care, but this whole 'babysitting me' thing has to stop, or we're both gonna want to rip our hair out. I'm perfectly capable of feeding myself, picking out my own clothes, and taking care of my own needs. I'm taking all my vitamins, and I'm gonna keep exercising until I'm too fat to walk. This baby isn't going to come out with horns if I eat an occasional potato chip or donut here and there!"

"Occasional?" Maura spit back at her. "That's all I've been finding in the cabinets lately! I know you have cravings, but you aren't even trying to supplement them with healthier options. Destroy your own body all you want, but when you're carrying _our _baby, I am _not_ going to let your old habits fly!"

"What are you gonna do, spoon feed me?" Jane had pulled herself up from the couch now, leveling herself with Maura. "I know it sucks that you can't be the one carrying the kid - trust me, I think we both would have preferred it that way, but I'm doing my damn best here for the both of it, and I honestly can't stand you monitoring every fucking part of my existence anymore!" Jane regretted the words as soon as they flew from her lips.

She watched Maura, her eyes pooling quite suddenly with tears, becoming tongue-tied as she tried to fix her outburst. "Wait. I didn't mean it like that you...you know what I-"

"You've made yourself perfectly clear." Maura's face hardened, though her voice broke as she said the words. "You want your space? You can have it."

Before Jane could formulate a response, Maura had seen herself out the door.

XXX

Maura inhaled deeply, keeping herself composed as she rapped her fist lightly against the door. She wasn't quite sure why she had ended up at Tommy's townhouse, meaning to only drive around until she had cooled off a bit. But the more she considered it, it was plain to see that the Rizzoli family had become her everything. They were the people she confided in, the people she laughed with, the people who made her feel at home after years of searching for a place to belong. And now, feeling injured and alone, they were the people she found herself seeking comfort and assurance from.

The door swung open a moment later, revealing TJ, wearing only his underpants "Aunt Maura!" His face lit up at he ran toward her, attaching himself to one of her legs. "What are you doing here?"

"I, well…" she stumbled slightly over her words, realizing she hardly had a valid reason for her sudden visit. "I just wanted to see your father." She let out a small sigh.

"And me too?" TJ craned his neck, searching for her eyes.

"Of course, sweetheart." She stooped down to kiss the top of his head. "What happened to all your clothes?"

"I spilled my pasta on them and the sauce went all over my race car shirt. Ellie said that she has magic soap that will make it all clean again in the washing machine," he assured her.

"TJ, what have your dad and I said about answering the door by yourself?" Ellie had appeared into view, a dishrag slung over her shoulder. She was small and blonde – Tommy definitely had a type. She had pulled her hair back into a messy bun, and hardly any makeup adorned her face – she looked comfortable, happy, and Maura couldn't help but to notice how nicely she had fallen into Tommy's domestic life. They had been dating for nearly a year now, and while Jane was quick to judge their relationship, Maura sensed a genuineness about it. Tommy seemed happy, as did Ellie, and TJ obviously adored his mother-like figure.

"It's just Aunt Maura, though," TJ protested, still attached to Maura's leg as they followed Ellie into the kitchen.

"Yes, but you didn't know that before she came in, buddy. You just have to ask me or your daddy to come with you, and I promise you can answer the door anytime you want. Understand?"

TJ nodded, curling his fingers around the hem of Maura's skirt.

"Now why don't you go play for a little?" Ellie suggested as she continued to dry dishes.

"But I want to stay with Aunt Maura," TJ stamped his little foot in protest, pressing himself up against Maura's leg.

"Aunt Maura and I need to talk for just a minute. I promise she'll kiss you goodnight before she goes, okay?" Ellie raised an eyebrow in TJ's direction.

TJ glowered for a moment, but he soon complied, scampering off into the den, where a mess of his toys littered the floor.

"Is everything okay?" Ellie spoke softly, putting the last of the dishes away. "I can't help but to notice you've been crying."

A hint of blush colored Maura's cheeks. She pursed her lips, feeling vulnerable and foolish. "Jane and I got into it tonight – and I just needed a moment away from it all," she sighed softly. "Is Tommy home?" She hardly wished to entangle Ellie in her martial problems.

"Tommy just got back from the gym – I'll go upstairs and get him for you." She offered Maura a small, considerate smile.

Ellie disappeared upstairs, and Maura waited a moment before wandering into the den. TJ had focused his attention on his bin of wooden blocks, precariously stacking them as Maura watched him from the couch. His tower quickly tumbled, and he bit his lip in frustration.

"Would you like me to help you build a tower that will stay up?" Maura suggested, watching as he began to stack again.

TJ nodded, waiting for Maura to join him on the floor.

"Well, the key is to build a strong foundation," Maura started, finding two long rectangular blocks and erecting them. "Then the pieces you want to place on the stop will have a better chance of staying."

"Foundation?" TJ crinkled his nose. "Is that like a water fountain?"

"No, the term actually refers to—" she cut herself off knowing it was useless to explain the reasoning behind a stable block tower to a three-year-old. She found a few more identical blocks, making a frame that would support a taller tower. "See how it doesn't wobble so much anymore?" Maura place a heavier cylindrical block on top of the base.

TJ nodded. "Can I try?"

Maura nodded, and he carefully picked a block of his choosing, stacking it beside Maura's. Maura took a few more blocks in her own grasp, agilely increasing the height of the tower.

"I'm gonna make the walls go up so its safer," TJ spoke, beginning to stack some blocks in the gaps of her foundation. Maura found a series of smaller square blocks to help him with the task.

"I think we might be nearly done," Maura spoke as the tower became more intricate, knowing that too many blocks would make it liable for collapse.

TJ chewed on his finger, about ready to agree with Maura, when he suddenly exclaimed. "But there's no doors here! The bad guys are gonna get in if we don't have the doors!"

"What bad guys?" Maura hadn't been aware of anyone inhabited their tower.

"The ones over there!" TJ scrambled across the room, dumping out a bin of small, plastic toys. "You gotta help me find them. I'm gonna put more blocks on the tippy top, and you can find the bad guys."

"What do the bad guys look like?" Maura had scooted over to the pile of miscellaneous toys, beginning to rummage through them cluelessly.

"They're the ones with the black. They got their faces all scrunched up not nice." TJ explained.

"This one?" She held up a human-like figurine.

"No, no!" TJ laughed. "That's a power ranger! He's a good one! _This _is a bad guy." He picked up a toy with a black cape and a mask, carrying it over to their tower.

"What are the bad guys going to do?" Maura questioned, genuinely curious to see how the cogs in TJ's mind were turning. "Are they going to destroy the tower?"

"No…they're gonna do much badder." TJ informed her.

"Worse than destroying the tower?"

"Yeah, they got these lasers," TJ spoke in a rush, his excitement building so quickly that Maura almost couldn't understand him. "Big ones that can hurt you. They are gonna sneak up inside and hurt the good guys.

"But how will they get in if we put up the doors?"

"They might jump in from flying way up high – they can do that, you know. Fly way up 'cause they got powers too, just not the good guys." TJ had jumped away from the tower, hurriedly grabbing a handful of toys from the pile, just as Tommy entered the room, his hair still damp from his shower.

"What are you two up to?"

TJ dropped his toys, running up to his father. "Look what Aunt Maura helped me to build!"

"That looks great, little man," Tommy praised him, eyeing the tower from top to bottom. "Why don't you give her a big thank you?" TJ squirmed out of Tommy's grasp, running over to Maura to plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek. She held him against her for a moment, the guilt from her fight with Jane edging back into her gut.

"Now Aunt Maura and I have something we need to talk about," Tommy address his son again after a moment, "So why don't you go upstairs with Ellie and get your PJs on?"

"But daddy do we gotta be done building now?" TJ protested with a practiced pout. "The bad guys didn't even fly all the way in yet, and they bringed some lasers—"

"We'll finish playing later, I promise," Tommy interrupted him. "We'll even leave up your blocks so your tower will still be here in the morning."

TJ nodded sullenly, trudging upstairs in a defeated manner. Maura couldn't help but to bite back a laugh. "He's certainly a character, isn't he?"

"Oh, you bet. He's a pro at pushing my buttons," Tommy laughed lightly, leaning up against the couch. "So what's up? Ellie said you looked pretty upset when you came in. Domestic squabble at the Rizzoli-Isles residence?"

"More or less," Maura sighed, the heaviness of the evening seeping back in. "I've always known Jane to be stubborn, but she's been particularly frustrating to deal with lately."

"Oh, I hear ya. Growing up, winning a fight with her was next to impossible. You're probably the person who I've seen who can easily sway her...she still giving you a problem with her diet?" Tommy remembered their brief tiff down at the station a few days prior.

"That's the essence of our disagreements nowadays, but I know it's much more deep rooted than that," Maura mused sullenly. "I have to remind myself that what she's doing is incredibly selfless, and I've been putting a lot of expectations on her on top of that. She's practically given up her job to ensure her and the baby's safety, which I know has been far from easy for someone as restless as her. But it's still so frustrating," Maura closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose in agitation, "to see her handling this pregnancy quite differently than I would approach it. I know I need to give her some space and trust her decisions, or else she's going to lose her sanity. But it is just so very hard for me to feel so out of control..."

Tommy placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "When Jane was about five, she started dressing like a boy. You know why?"

"Because she's always felt a strong compulsion to express her preferred masculine interests?"

"Well, I will give you that," Tommy laughed a little. "But from the stories Ma tells, I can guarantee it also had a hell of a lot to do with the fact that it made my Ma mad and she was trying to force Janie into something more feminine."

Maura nodded, waiting for Tommy to bring this discussion full circle.

"I remember her cutting all her hair off when she about fifteen, and Ma was furious for weeks about the fact that. And even though she told Frankie and me that she hated it, she kept it short for a good year after that before letting it grow out again. You see where I'm going with this?" Tommy inquired.

"That Jane is an extremely stubborn individual, and I should not take it personally?" Maura answered, letting out a small sigh, because it really didn't get her much of anywhere.

"Yeah, that, and the fact that she hates it when people tell her what to do. Look at her relationship with Ma even today - Ma just can't resist nosing herself into Jane's life, and Jane makes sure she gives her a hard time for it. If you give Jane room to make her own decisions and try not to fight her on everything, I can guarantee she'll be more respectful of what you think. Jane just doesn't like to be told what to do, that's all - and years of battling against my Ma has made her quite good at standing her ground," Tommy concluded.

"I suppose I'd better be a bit more forgiving if I don't want our child coming out addicted to french fries," Maura smiled a little. She leaned in to give Tommy a hug. "Thanks for taking the time to listen - it means a lot to me."

TJ came clamoring down the steps as Maura pulled away from the hug, obviously delighted to see his aunt still here. He crawled into her lap, fitting his head into the crook of her neck. "I love your dinosaur pajamas," Maura spoke, feeling TJ grin against her.

"Daddy, can I stay up late with you and Aunt Maura?" TJ peek hopefully out from behind Maura's hair.

"Your aunt Maura actually has to leave soon," he raised an eyebrow. "Aunt Jane is home all by herself, and Aunt Maura needs to go give her a hug to make her happy."

TJ pursed his lips, wrapping his arms around Maura's neck a final time. "Can you give her a hug for me too?" he whispered loudly in Maura's ear. "And tell Pac-Man I say hi."

"Of course," Maura smiled, giving Tommy a nod of thanks as she held TJ for a prolonged moment. Their argument now seemed petty as she held the child close to her, reminding Maura of all they had waiting for them in the future.

XXX

"I was just about to come out looking for you." Jane spoke stiffly as the door creaked shut behind Maura. "You left your phone, and then my mind started go-"

Maura stopped her short, closing the distance between them quickly, feeling the ache and the guilt dissipate as her lips hungrily found Jane's. She stumbled slightly, the relief almost crippling, the shift in her footing forcing Jane up against the door. She brought her hands to Jane's hair, bunching her curls tightly in her fists, dotting a trail of kisses from the corner of Jane's mouth all the way to the rapid pulse point on her neck. "I'm sorry," she breathed, the influx of air washing over Jane's skin. She felt Jane's knees buckle.

"I'm sorry, too," Jane spoke, but her words came out more like a muffled groan, as Maura had now brought one of her hands down to the waist of her pants, hooking a finger inside the band near the button.

"I love you," Maura husked out, sucking gently on the edge of Jane's jaw. "I need you to know that."

"Of course I know th-" Jane didn't finished, pressing her hands hard up against the door as she heard the button of her pants snap open. Maura's hand danced against the skin of her stomach for a brief moment before sliding down the opening she had just created. Jane closed her eyes, feeling dizzy. She propped her thigh between Maura's legs, letting out a breath of satisfaction as Maura let out a throaty moan. There would be plenty of time for talking later.

XXX

Jane traced the outline of Maura's spine gently, listening to her the sound of her hushed breathing. The silence was comforting, but Jane still felt an uneasy pang in her stomach, knowing that a few words were needed to fix the damage her outburst had caused before.

"I'm sorry about what I said before. And about the way I've been acting," Jane finally spoke, feeling Maura shift in response.

Maura turned onto her side, running her hand through her mussed hair. "I owe you an apology, too, Jane. I haven't been approaching this in a respectful manner. I've been treating you like a child, and that's hardly fair of me. From now on, I'll simply stock the fridge with healthy options, and I'll leave it up to you to decide if you wish to consume what I provide. I trust you to make good decisions for our baby, and you don't need me to hover over you for that." She rubbed her thumb against the back of Jane's hand, letting her need for control dissipate with some difficulty.

"Maura, don't put this all on you," Jane chewed on her lip, her stomach aching with guilt. "You've been treating me like a child because I've been acting like one. I know you just want what's best for the baby, and I've been making that really difficult. While you were gone, I threw away all the processed shit I've been storing in the cabinet, so I'm ready to be more dedicated to whole eating healthy thing. I want to give this kid the best start I can, and while it's gonna be a sacrifice on my part, I'm ready to do what's best for him."

"Him?" Maura repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno, maybe it's just that we've been calling him Pac-Man, but I got this feeling that we've got a little boy in there," Jane shrugged, looking down at her belly.

Maura placed her hand against Jane's bare stomach, tracing the subtle bump. "TJ says hi to the baby," Maura laughed lightly as she remembered. "I'm pretty sure that no matter what gender it is or what we end up naming it, TJ is gonna be pretty set on calling it Pac-Man for life."

"He's too cute for words." Jane scooted herself up closer to Maura, beginning to play absentmindedly with her hair. "Makes me wonder how our little guy is gonna turn out."

"Stubborn," Maura automatically answered. "You're already training him well for that."

"Him, hm?" Jane raise an eyebrow. "Did I just catch the good doctor guessing?"

"Freudian slip," Maura defended. "I blame your speculation. Regardless, only a few more weeks until we find out."

"I already feel like I've been pregnant for three years," Jane pretended to moan.

The two grew silent as Maura flipped back onto her other side, taking her customary position as the little spoon, her bare skin pressed flush against the crevices of Jane's body.

XXX

When Jane stumbled into the kitchen the following morning, she was greeted by a plate of donuts in the middle of the counter. As she picked up one of the glazed pastries, she grabbed an apple as well from the fruit basket resting nearby. Beside it was another list of names, headed with a brief note: _Our next compromise to battle. _

Jane let out a small groan.


End file.
